For Leap Day Only, A Rare Newspaper Goes To Print

A man reads a copy of the satirical newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur (The Sapper's Candle), published every leap day, in a Parisian cafe on Feb. 29, 2008. The paper's tagline is "without reproach."

Patrick Hertzog
/ AFP/Getty Images

Listen

Listening...

/

Originally published on February 29, 2012 11:02 am

At newsstands across France on Wednesday, readers will delight to a humorous broadsheet published every four years on leap day.

At news shops in Paris and around France, readers look forward to their copy of La Bougie du Sapeur every Feb. 29. Published since 1980, the satirical journal is now in its ninth edition. Its title, which translates as "sapper's candle," is taken from an old French comic-book figure who was born on that fateful last day of February.

Jean d'Indy is the editor and publisher of La Bougie du Sapeur. He says it's not hard to find humor in the news.

"We try not to be naughty; we just try to be funny," he says. "But we are not funny. Life is funny. So, it's the way of seeing life which is funny."

The quadrennial newspaper, which costs 4 euros, or about $5, sells 150,000 copies each time around, far surpassing the ailing French dailies. D'Indy has considered offering subscriptions — but he says it would be too hard to find people if they moved between publishing dates.

D'Indy has little overhead, because his newsroom is a restaurant where, he says, his writers grease their mental gears with Champagne. Any profits are donated to charity.

The editor attributes the appeal of his newspaper to its rarity. People appreciate what is rare, he says. To make it still more rare, D'Indy has toyed with the idea of publishing only when Feb. 29 falls on a Sunday.

If that happens, readers would have to wait until 2032 for the next edition.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

While Rose Bunch is celebrating her sweet 16, a French newspaper is hitting newsstands for the first time in four years. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley will explain why.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: At this news shop in Paris' 15th arrondissement, readers look forward to their copy of La Bougie du Sapeur every February 29th. Published since 1980, the satirical journal is now in its ninth edition. Its title, which translates as Sapper's Candle, is taken from an old French comic book figure who was born on that fateful last day of February. Jean d'Indy is the editor and publisher of La Bougie du Sapeur. He says it's not hard to find humor in the news.

JEAN D'INDY: We try not to be naughty. We just try to be funny. But we are not funny. Life is funny. So it's the way of seeing life which is funny.

BEARDSLEY: D'Indy says La Bougie du Sapeur doesn't cover subjects which have already been exhausted in the press. So they'll stay away from the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal. The quadrennial newspaper - which costs 4 euros, or about $5 - sells 150,000 copies each time around, far surpassing the ailing French dailies. D'Indy says he'd thought about offering subscriptions, but says it would be too hard to find people if they moved between publishing dates. He has little overhead because his newsroom is a restaurant where he says his writers grease their mental gears with champagne. Any money made, d'Indy donates to charity.

The editor attributes the appeal of his newspaper to its rarity. People appreciate what is rare, he says. To make it more rare, d'Indy has toyed with the idea of publishing every February 29th that falls on a Sunday. If he does, readers will have to wait until 2032 for the next edition. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.